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Ms Roseanna Cunningham MSP has welcomed the publication of new figures which show a huge boost to connectivity in Perth and Kinross, thanks to Scottish Government investment in broadband.

These new figures show the extent to which the Perth & Kinross Council area has benefitted from SNP Scottish Government investment in broadband, with 91.9% of homes switched on as opposed to only 41.2% if improvements had been left to the free market.

Ms Cunningham said:

“It is really good news that 91.9% of properties in Perth & Kinross now receive fibre broadband and really telling that this compares to only 41.2%, had improvements been left to commercial deployment.

“That means that more than twice the number of properties have fibre broadband connection than had been predicted would have been the case if expansion had been left up to the market – and that difference is directly attributable to political commitment and financial investment by the Scottish Government.

“More than 95% of Scotland’s homes and businesses are now able to connect to fibre broadband – but we recognise that this is not yet good enough and the SNP Government is setting its sights even higher, pledging to deliver access speeds of at least 30Mbps to 100% of premises in Scotland by the end of 2021.

“This commitment by the Scottish Government is all the more laudable when you realise that this is, in fact, a reserved matter which should be the responsibility of the UK Government. However, Westminster’s funding contribution to the programme has been a measly 3% of the total investment.

“That lack of endeavour on the part of the Westminster Tory Government is hardly surprising; however, it needs to be seen in the context of a government that appears content to leave England in the slow lane with an aim to deliver access speeds of only 10Mbps, a third slower than the Scottish Government’s ambition for Scotland.”

These new figures show the extent to which the Perth & Kinross Council area has benefitted from SNP

Scottish Government investment in broadband, with 91.9% of homes switched on as opposed to only

41.2% if improvements had been left to the free market.

Speaking this morning (Thursday) Ms Cunningham said:

“It is really good news that 91.9% of properties in Perth & Kinross now receive fibre broadband and really

telling that this compares to only 41.2% had improvements been left to commercial deployment.

“That means that more than twice the number of properties have fibre broadband connection than had

been predicted would have been the case if expansion had been left up to the market – and that

difference is directly attributable to political commitment and financial investment by the Scottish

Government.

“More than 95% of Scotland’s homes and businesses are now able to connect to fibre broadband – but

we recognise that this is not yet good enough and the SNP Government is setting its sights even higher,

pledging to deliver access speeds of at least 30Mbps to 100% of premises in Scotland by the end of 2021.

“This commitment by the Scottish Government when you realise that this is, in fact, a reserved matter

which should be responsibility of the UK Government. However, Westminster’s funding contribution to

the programme has been a measly 3% of the total investment.

“That lack of endeavour of the part of the Westminster Tory Government is hardly surprising, however,

when seen in the context of a government that appears content to leave England in the slow lane with

an aim to deliver access speeds of only 10Mbps, a third slower than the Scottish Government’s ambition